


Everyone Loves a Happy Ending

by Bugggghead



Series: Complications & Connections Series [2]
Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Shameless Smut, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 08:18:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bugggghead/pseuds/Bugggghead
Summary: A Complications & Connections CodaOriginal story should be read first!





	Everyone Loves a Happy Ending

 

Jughead finally finished the novel he had been tirelessly working on for nearly two years in June.

 

A publisher showed interest by July and the advance for the contract was paid before the fall.

Betty and Jughead had been together nearly a year by the time the first copies of the book arrived at their doorstep. She was busy at work, the Post job had been paying off and Betty was finally getting the recognition she rightfully deserved. When she came home from work at night, she wasn’t exhausted like she had been at the Times; even when the days stretched into nights, she was genuinely happy.

 

Jughead stared into the box and plucked out a copy of his very first published novel. He flipped it over in his hands a few times, the weight of the hardcover and pages inside making it feel all the more real.

 

Betty and Jughead had grown much closer over the last year and if he hadn’t known before that she was the one, he had daily reminders of the fact as the months rolled on. He wasn’t joking at the wedding when he said he knew one day he would ask her to marry him. In truth, he had known longer than he’d ever like to admit. The progression of their relationship only deepened his resolve to make an honest woman out of her, and he found himself daydreaming about when she would finally be Mrs. Jones.

 

The only problem with his daydream being—he hadn’t even picked out a ring yet.

 

He wanted the proposal to be a grand gesture. Everything about their relationship had been unconventional in the beginning and he wanted to give her the picture-perfect proposal he knew she had envisioned her whole life.

 

All of that started with a singular piece of jewelry and Jughead quickly made a decision. He tucked the book back in the box and took it over to his desk, sliding it underneath, hopefully out of sight, before grabbing his wallet and knocking on Veronica and Archie’s door across the hall.

It was the middle of the day, so he knew Archie would be at work and Veronica would be working from home. She answered almost immediately and looked at him questioningly.

 

“What can I do for you  _ Hemingway _ ?” 

 

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck and he felt a blush rise on his cheeks. He should have known Betty wouldn't be able to keep a secret from Veronica. “So, I guess Betty told you I’d be getting the first copies of my book in soon?”

 

“Of course, she did! You should also know that I fully expect an invitation to the exclusive launch event next week.”

 

“You’ll get one, don’t worry. Listen, Veronica, I need to ask you a favor and I need you to keep it a secret for me. Deal?”

 

“Well that depends, Jughead. What’s the favor and who do I have to keep it a secret from?”

 

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck again, debating if he really needed her help in this before succumbing to the obvious answer that  _ yes, of course he needed her best friends help to pick out the perfect ring for the perfect proposal. _

 

“I want to propose to Betty—” His words were cut off when Veronica squealed loudly, something that vaguely resembled ‘yes’ before she leaped into his arms, hugging him so tight he wasn’t sure either one of them could breath. They separated and Veronica beamed at him, causing a smile to spread across Jughead’s face so wide he wasn’t sure he could hide it if he tried.

 

“Anyway, um, you’ll have to keep it a secret from her. We can tell Archie but he needs to keep it a secret, too. I know he has no poker face so I’ll leave it up to you to tell him.”

 

“Deal!” She squealed excitedly.

-

Less than an hour later, Veronica’s town car pulled up in front of a jewelry store and she tugged him out of the vehicle and into the showroom. She tried countless times to explain the difference in the cuts of the diamonds. All Jughead registered, however, was that Betty wanted a princess cut solitaire.

 

Veronica and Betty had obviously spoken about this and Jughead was relieved she was there to help him wade through the hundreds of choices presented. 

 

They settled on a 1.5 carat princess cut diamond wrapped in a simple white gold band. It was timeless and elegant,  _ just like her, _ he thought. It cost roughly $5,000 and Jughead happily handed over his debit card, mentally thanking his publisher for the advance on the book.  _ He was putting it to a good use, _ he thought,  _ starting their life together the right way _ . 

 

Truthfully, he would have spent the entire advance on the ring if he needed to. He wanted everything to be exactly right.  _ It's what Betty deserved _ , he thought.

-

Jughead felt the weight of the velvet box in his pocket. The box held more than simply the ring he picked out the week before—it held the weight of a life changing decision, the weight of their possible future—all housed in a beautiful velvety box.  _ Who would have known such a small piece of jewelry could feel as if it weighed a ton _ ?

 

He thumbed the box nervously in his pocket as they exited the restaurant. His book launch party had ended earlier and they went for a celebratory dinner afterward at a fancy restaurant close to the venue. Archie and Veronica knew what Jughead had planned for the night, and gracefully bowed out of Betty’s spur of the moment invitation to join them for dinner.

 

He had it all planned out; the apartment was already prepared, thanks entirely to Veronica’s swift exit earlier. He instructed her to litter every surface with rose petals. He knew she also put a bottle of champagne on ice in the kitchen and the finishing touch was the copy of his book. The same copy he had meticulously wrapped with an ostentatious bow earlier in the day and personally dedicated to her, both in print and with pen.

 

He wanted her to walk into what felt like a dream.  _ It was only fitting _ , he thought, to make the experience as surreal as possible for her. She was always his dream and he wanted to live up to the one she had crafted in her head since childhood.   _ She deserves everything under the sun _ , he thought, starting with a proposal she would never forget and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.

 

As the elevator rose, Jughead could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest. He knew how he wanted the next few hours to go, but he was nervous it wouldn’t live up to his expectations.

 

When the apartment door opened, Betty’s hands rose to cover her mouth as a small gasp escaped.

 

“Oh my god, Juggie!” She spun around with tears in her eyes and threw her arms around his neck, tugging him close, eliminating any space between their bodies. He relished in the feeling for only a moment before turning her back around and directing her to the display with the book. He hadn’t let her read it yet. He claimed she would be his harshest critic and he wanted to see how the book was received publicly before he let her look at it. After all, she worked for a publication. In all reality, he hadn’t wanted her to read it until this moment. He had this planned from the minute he finished the last chapter. 

 

It was only fair for the book to be part of his proposal, it was after all, her story as much as it was his.

 

“Read it baby and when you’re done come find me in the bedroom.” He kissed her temple as she looked at him quizzically. 

 

She leaned up into her tip toes and pressed her lips to his gently. “I love you, Jughead Jones.” She smiled against his lips, wondering what else he had in store for their night. 

 

“Betty Cooper, I love you. Now please go read my book.”

 

Betty took the book to the couch, it was roughly 60,000 words and Jughead had figured with her ability to read north of 300 words per minute, she would be done in a little under four hours.

 

He busied himself signing copies of his book to send back to the publisher for as long as he could. When his hand began to cramp, he glanced back down at the clock and saw a little more than an hour had passed.

 

Jughead opened up his laptop and replied to various emails from news outlets asking for interviews and his publisher asking about his next book.  _ Damn, we just launched one tonight and they’re already chomping at the bit for another _ .

  
  


A few more hours passed and he heard the door knob begin to turn. His heart thumped furiously in his chest and his eyes grew wide when he saw her enter their room with the book clutched to her chest.

 

She was still wearing the dress from the launch party. It was a floor length gown in emerald green, just like her eyes, with a generous slit leading up to her hip. The dip in the front left little to his imagination and the way the silky material clung to her curves made his body involuntarily respond to her presence.

 

She inched forward one step at a time and came to stand in front of him.

 

“It’s beautiful, Juggie. I loved every single word. I always knew you were an incredible writer, but this – this was so much more than just a great story, Jug.” She paused and set the book down on the desk before threading their fingers together and tilting her head upward. “I see why you didn’t want me to read it yet. It’s about us, isn’t it?” She questioned softly. Jughead nodded, all of his words jumbled in his throat, unable to escape. “I love it.” She said again before pressing her lips against his.

 

The contact snapped him out of the love fueled haze he was temporarily adrift in and he refocused on the reason for the display.

 

Jughead kept her hand threaded in his own as he dropped down to one knee in their bedroom. Her eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her free hand before he spoke.

 

“Betty Cooper, you mean more to me than you will ever know. I wanted tonight to be perfect for you." he paused looking into her deep green eyes before continuing, "I know you hate that word, but I can’t think of any other word that could possibly come close to describing you. You are perfection, Betts.”

 

He could see the tears streaming down her face and nearly lost his nerve. He disconnected their hands long enough to pull the box from his pocket and flip the lid open, revealing the ring.

 

“What I’m trying to say is that I would be the luckiest man on the planet if I could spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Betty, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

She reached forward and pulled him up so they were nose to nose. Her head bobbed up and down for a split second before she crushed her lips to his in a bruising kiss. The natural push and pull they always had was urgent, needy in that second as he lost himself in the way her mouth moved against his. He would never grow tired of the heat that pooled deep inside of him every time they touched. She pulled back, catching her breath and Jughead chuckled.

 

“So, is that a yes?” He asked, hopefully.

 

“Yes, yes, yes Juggie. A thousand times yes. I’ve never wanted anything more.” A tear slipped from his eyes as he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in.

 

He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. The size 6.5 fit perfectly over her long delicate fingers and he drank in the image of her staring at it, twirling it slightly in the light, admiring the shimmers it gave off each time it caught a new stream of light.

 

“You planned all of this, Jug?” She asked, tears still drying on her cheeks.

 

“Well, Veronica was a much bigger help than I’d like to give her credit for,” he joked. “but yes, I did. I wanted this to be everything you ever dreamed it could be Betty.” He admitted softly.

 

“Oh, Jug. I would have said yes on that dance floor at Archie and Veronica’s wedding. I would have said yes if you never even bought me a ring. I would have said yes to you without question no matter how you did this, but thank you, for being so amazing. Jug, I just—” Her words were cut off as he connected their lips once again. He swiped his tongue across her swollen bottom lip, silently asking for permission, before she eagerly granted it and their tongues twisted and tangled around each other.

 

He pulled her back toward their bed and lightly pushed her down as he tumbled down on top of her. They were both giggling, elated at the events, enjoying their few moments of bliss.  _ No wonder Veronica was so happy all the time, _ she thought fleetingly before Jughead’s mouth moving down the column of her neck silenced her internal monologue.

 

A moan escaped her lips as he slipped the straps of her dress down her shoulders. Her hands were just as quick and his three-piece suit from the signing earlier soon laid in a pile, along with her ensemble, discarded on the floor. Betty sat up for a second and looked around, breaking their moment and leaving Jughead confused.

 

She got up and went over to their closet. She was looking for something and Jughead was struck by the sight of her in nothing but a black lacy lingerie set. He was too captivated by the vision to spend much time questioning what she was doing. Betty reached into the back of the closet and pulled out his black tie to hold between the two of him. She sauntered back to the bed and slipped beneath him, tie still in hand.

 

A mischievous glint in her eye made his cock twitch beneath the thin layers still separating them. He was fully settled over her once more and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as she raised her eyebrows and tilted her head.

 

“Is this the same one, Jug?” Her voice was low, sultry, laced with the need consuming her in that moment.

 

“It is.”

  
  


They had explored this dynamic with relative frequency since their first time in the Riverdale hotel room months before. It wasn’t every time they made love, but often enough to know they both enjoyed it. Sometimes he prompted, sometimes she did, but inevitably they both wound up panting and sated, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears as they came down from a night of play. Tonight, it appeared, would be no different.

 

Betty playfully pushed Jughead onto his back and straddled him, pressing her aching core against his obvious erection.

 

“It’s my turn tonight.” She whispered in the shell of his ear before sinking her teeth into his lobe eliciting a deep guttural groan from him in response.

 

Betty had never taken control like this and his cock was throbbing at the notion. He pulled his arms up above his head and let her bind them together as she teasingly ground down on him. Once she tugged on them lightly to ensure they were in place, she brought her hands down to rest on his chest and sunk down onto him without warning. She stayed fully seated for a minute, feeling the delicious stretch of her skin. His chest was heaving already as she slowly circled her hips in lazy figure eight patterns.

 

“Does that feel good, baby?” She whispered as the agonizingly slow pace of her movements continued.

 

“God yes.” He moaned and she moved a bit more. His arms tugged on the restraints without thinking as his body screamed at him to touch her, to grip her hips, to grind her further into him. Without the use of his hands, he bucked his hips upward, causing her to still.

 

“Not yet, baby. It’s still my turn. Remember, you can look but you can’t touch.” She leaned down and covered his mouth with hers, swallowing every gasp that escaped as the lethargic pace began to pick up.

 

Betty could tell it was a sort of sweet, delicious torture to him that she understood all too well. Each time she was bound, each time her hands were restrained, she craved to touch him. Betty wanted Jughead to feel the same craving, like an ember slowly burning from the inside out. Being the one in control awoken something inside of Betty as she gradually began to pick up the pace.

 

Betty leaned all the way back and gripped the covers by his knees. She was moving with purpose, skillfully and Jughead was simply along for the ride. With each movement, he tugged at the tie wrapped around his wrist. He knew that he was capable of loosening them, he could pull them off if he wanted to, but the façade of control was more important than the actual mechanics of it. So, Jughead tugged lightly, trying not to break out of the binds while simultaneously trying to hold back his release. The way Betty was riding him, grinding her core down to the point he felt her hip bones digging into his own, was driving him wild. Without the use of his hands, Jughead had no control over the situation. He refrained from raising his hips in response to her movements and groaned loudly. He was getting close and he wanted them to climax together. It was always euphoric when their releases timed up perfectly.

 

“Untie me baby” He groaned.

 

Betty slowed and sat up straight, connecting their eyes with a smirk playing on the corners of lips. Her movements halted as she leaned forward and rested on her forearms framing either side of his head. Her lips brushed his neck and he groaned loudly in response.

 

“God Baby, let me touch you.” He pleaded again. Betty twisted her neck to face him and raised her eyebrows expectantly. “Please.”

 

Betty’s smirk broke into a full on grin and Jughead was struck by her beauty in that moment. Fully bare, hair mussed from the romp and pupils blown wide with desire, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever known and he closed the minimal distance between them, capturing her mouth with his own, claiming her. The kiss was sloppy, rushed, hungry. They were both nearing release before her pause and Jughead craved the feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips.

 

“Please baby, let me touch you.” He breathed against her lips as they were both still panting. Betty began moving slowly again. Jughead was grateful for the change in pace. If she continued at her previous speed, he knew it was going to be impossible to hold off much longer.

 

Her slow ministrations made Jughead feel as if every nerve ending in his body was aflame. He was already hypersensitive to her touch so as she began moving with intent again, Jughead was relieved when he felt her fingertips skillfully untie the bindings. No sooner than the silk tie fell from his wrists did Jughead pull her down flush against him. He pressed her body into his own and gripped her hips. The last few strokes had them both nearing the edge and without the need for any additional stimulation, they reached their high together.

 

A while later, they were both still laying in bed, reveling in the heavenly aftermath. Betty slowly traced the birthmarks on his chest in a lazy pattern as Jughead’s fingers combed through her tresses.

 

“Did you really like the book, Betts?” He asked with tentative excitement.

 

“I love it, Jug, more than you know.” She replied simply, honestly. 

 

As they laid in their bed, bodies still buzzing from earlier, Jughead pulled her close. His arm was wrapped around her waist holding her flush against him. They were both still bare, covered in a thin layer of sweat, neither of them caring about the ways their body stuck together, too lost, instead, in the blissful euphoria of the evening.

\- 

“Mrs. Jones” He whispered into her hair, placing a soft kiss atop her head.

 

She looked up at him, pure love shining through her deep green irises and he was entranced. 

 

“I like the sound of that.” She leaned up to press her lips softly against his, attempting to convey the gravity of her statement with the fluid motion of their mouths moving against one another. They kissed languidly for a few long moments, neither deepening the exchange, fully satisfied with the heavy air of adoration surrounding them in the blissful moment. There had been plenty of ferocity in their earlier exchanges for a simple kiss to cap off the night. It was a perfect balance of sweet and sexy, sensual and innocent— _ just like them _ , he mused.

-

Veronica was disappointed when they decided to have the ceremony on the rooftop deck at their apartment building. It wasn’t the destination wedding she had been pushing for or the grand ordeal hers had been; but Betty and Jughead wanted something entirely their own.

Their guest list was incredibly short, totaling just over a dozen people, and the plans were in place within weeks. Unlike their best friends’ wedding, it was a simple ceremony.

 

Miss Betty Cooper became Missus Betty Jones early that spring in a ceremony attended by only their closest family and friends. Both Betty and Jughead’s parents were noticeably absent, but their chosen family was in full attendance.

 

They wrote their own vows and there wasn’t a dry eye on the terrace when they were declared husband and wife. Everyone could see how utterly and irrevocably in love with each other they were.

 

_ “Betty Cooper, no amount of words could truly express what you mean to me, so I’ll keep it simple. I vow to be the kind of man you deserve. I vow to love you more with each passing day than I did the last. I vow to give you all I have. ‘I love you, and that’s the beginning and end of everything.’ F Scott Fitzgerald said it better than I ever could have. Betty Cooper, you  _ **_are_ ** _ my everything and I vow to prove that on a daily basis.” _

 

_ “'He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.’ Wuthering Heights was always one of my favorite books when I was younger. You knew that. So, I thought it only fitting that Emily Bronte’s words made their way into my vows. Our souls were made for each other, fitting together like pieces of the same puzzle. You came into my life when we were children and weathered the years with me as a friend. The first time you kissed me, I knew it was over. I wasn’t sure you knew it yet, but you were imprinted on my soul that day.”  _ No one in the crowd other than the bride and groom understood the moment, but no one needed to—not today—today was about them. Today was about showing Jughead how hopelessly in love with him she was.  _ “I knew the moment your lips touched mine that nothing else would ever feel as right. I vow to grow with you, to build a life with you, to stand by your side and love you without judgement or expectations every single day for the rest of our lives.” _

–

  
  


_ 'Cause all of me _

_ Loves all of you _

_ Love your curves and all your edges _

_ All your perfect imperfections _

 

Jughead held Betty close, slowly swaying to their song. It was Betty’s suggestion, of course, but he was incapable of denying her. The first time she serenaded him with the lyrics filling the room, he fell deeper than he ever thought possible. 

 

It was a few weeks after the proposal, the minimal planning nearly complete save for their first dance song. Neither had agreed to a suggestion yet and the song came on the radio. Betty picked up the lyrics on the second line and he lost the battle of wills in an instant. Her voice was magical, sweet and smooth, like honey to his senses. She was singing along in a whisper as he tightened his grip on her delicate frame. The lyrics sounded as if they were written just for them in that instant.

 

_ Give your all to me _

_ I’ll give my all to you _

_ You’re my end and my beginning _

_ Even when I lose I’m winning _

 

Betty wasn’t ready for the day to end. The ceremony had been beautiful. Everything about her wedding day had been a dream so far. She was lost in the feeling of Jughead’s arms wrapped around her, his steady heartbeat thrumming through his chest as they swayed to the music and enjoyed the moment of serenity.

 

_ 'Cause I give you all, all of me _

_ And you give me all, all of you _

 

After their less than traditional start, the months following Archie and Veronica’s wedding had been better than either of them had ever imagined. As the night dwindled down and they left the reception, Betty knew no matter what happened in the past, her future looked better than ever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> Please feel free to leave me a comment & let me know what you think!
> 
> Thank you @peyton_0727 for taking a look at the whole thing for me first <3
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @bugggghead


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